Centrifugal propeller



C. D. BROOKS. CENTRIFUGAL PROP'ELLER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.21,1921.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

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reference may be UNITED STATES D. BROOKS, OF BROOKLYN, .NB'W YORK.

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To all whom it may corwem:

Be it known that I CHARLES D. Bnooxs, citizen of the United states and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Propellers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pro llers and more particularly to screw rope ers of the type t at are used for vesse s and aeroplanes and has for its ob'ect to provide a propeller of substantially t e same type as now employed with the greatest success for the propulsion of aeroplanes; more particularly the object of the invention is to provide a propeller, wherein the high speed of rotation developed for propelling the aeroplane will result in developing momentum, which will increase the force and speed of the propeller. A further object is' to provlde a means for utilizing the high speed of the propeller for storing kinetic energy through momentum when t e propeller 1s running at high speed, but in which the propeller will act as an ordinary propeller when runat low speed.

ith these and further objects in view, had to the drawings, in which similar characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof, .in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of one blade of a propeller for an aeroplane, embodying'one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the propeller blade shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional line '3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional l-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings 10 indicates the blade of the propeller, 11 indicates the hub thereof, 12 indicates a recess provided in the propeller and 13 indicates ribs for strengthening the propeller and at the same time affording a recess therein for lightness in the metallic propeller; 1 1 indicates a plate which is secured to one side of the recessed blade for inclosing the recess there of; 15 indicates screws employed for securing the plate 14 in position; 16 is a reser- V011 adjacent the hub of the propeller and communicating with the recess of the blade; 17 is a reservoir at the tip of the propeller blade and communicating with the recess view through the view through the line Specification of Letters I'atent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application fled January 81, 1921; Serial No. 488,902.

thereof; 18 is a tortuous tube in the form of the tube of suitable diameter from the reservoir 16 to the reservoir 17. 19 is a spring valve in the reservoir 16 communicating wlth a tortuous tube 18, ada ted for permitting a limited flow. of i uid therethrough under a predetermine degree of pressure and automatically looking to prevent the return of any liquid through said outlet port. 20 is a passage leading from the reservoir 17 to the reservoir 16 and is of a much larger diameter than the passage of the tortuous tube 18 and is a substantially straight passage. This passage commumcates with the reservoir 16 and the induction port of said reservoir is normally closed by aspring valve 21, which will admit a flow of liquid into the reservoir therethrough, out revent the escape of any degree of llqui from the reservoir through said passa e and valve.

n the practice of my invention, I prefer to provide openings in the ribs 13 for admission of tubes, as the tortuous tube 18 and the straight tube 20. To admit the tortuous tube 18, a slotted opening 22 is provided and to admit the strai ht tube 20, a circular opening 23 is provided through the ribs 13. The reservoirs 16 and 17 are preferably of copper or other suitable metal, removably disposed within the recess provided within the propeller blade. The tubes 18 and 20 may beintroduced and secured in the reservoir and retained by any suitable means, as a screw threaded fitting and packing 'oint, or by brazin air tight joints are provided. A suitable filler cap or opening is provided for filling the reservoir 16, as 2/1 in Fig. 1, whereby a quantity of liquid of desired character ma be introduced into the reservoir 16. Eac blade of the pro eller is constructed in the same manner an the parts are so constructed as to perfectly balance. An equal amount is dis osed in the corresponding reservoirs. The 11 uid is normally retained within said reservo1r 16. I prefer to use mercury for this pur ose, and at t e same time a very great degree of ductility. r

Normally the liquid is retained in the reservoir 16 adjacent the hub and when the motor starts it does nottend to retard the motion thereof, but as the speed of rotation increases, the centrifugal force thereof tends to throw the mercury radially along the as it possesses great weight blade toward the. tip or the outer end thereof. The force of the mercury contracting with the inclined surface of the spring valve 19 tends to open the valve so that the mercuryv may pass into the tortuous tube 18.

The convolutions or windings of the tortuous tube check the movement of the mercury passing therethrough and prevent it from accumulating in a great volume'in the reservoir instantly, but as the rotation continues and the speed increases, the mercury in the reservoir 16 graduall forces its way through the tortuous tu e, till it is substantially all within the reservoir 17. A considerable uantity of the mercury is thus employed or this purpose and serves to considerably increase the wei ht of the outer end of the propeller bla e. The kIlIIGtlG energ developed by the rotation of this consi erable volume of mercury in this reservoir is sufiicient to overcome the resistance of the air currents uponthe blade and to insure the steady, continuous rotation thereof. This operates to aid the engine, in that should there be a checking or.a delay for however short an interval in the action of the gases or ignition in the cylinder chamher, the momentum accelerated by the weight of the mercury in the reservoir, will cause the cylinders to function erfectly, thus insuring better ignition and operation of the motor. When the speed of the propeller is substantially reduced, so that the centrifugal force is inadequate to localize themercury in the reservoir at the outer extremity of the blade, it returns through the direct passage 20, which is of larger diameter than the passage through the tortuous tube 18 and passing through the spring valve 21 is retained in the reservoir 16, so that it cannot esca e through the passage 20, but to return to t e reservoir 17 it must travel through the passage of the tortuous tube 18, as above described. j I 7 While I have described the invention in the foregoing specification, specifically as shown in the accompanying drawings, I do not wish to be understood to limit myself thereto but the device as here shown may be greatly modified Without departin from the spirit or scope of my invention, therefore claim the right to make modification as to detail of construction, as may seem advisable v in the ractice of my inven't1on.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A propeller, having a recess therein, adjacent the hub thereof, a passage leading therefrom outwardly from the hub through the propeller, a return passage communicating with the first passage and with the recess and a suitable weight disposed in the recess adapted for being centrifugally moved outwardly through the passage, thence returned to the recess, substantially as described and for the purposes setforth. I

2. A propeller having a recess adjacent the hub, a assa e leading from the recess outwardly rom t e hub and communicating with a second passage, said second passage leading from the first passage to the recess, a suitable weight disposed in the recess and adapted to be removed by centrifugal force through the first passage to the second passage and adapted for being returned to the recess through the second passage, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth. v

3. A propeller havin a recess therein adjacent the hub thereo a passage leading from the recess outwardly from the hub, a second passage communicating with the outer extremity of the first passage and leading to the recess, a weight disposed in the recess adapted to be moved by centrifugal force outwardly along the first passage and adapted to be returned by gravity through the second passage to the recess, means for regulating the movement of the weight whereby it is permitted to move from the recess to the first passage and from the second passage into the recess and prevent it from moving from the first passage into the recess or from the recess into the second passage, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth. a

4. A propeller having a recess therein, adjacent the hub thereof, a second recess at a greater distance from the hub thereof, an irregular passage leading from the first recess to the second recess, a second passage leading from the second recess to the first recess, means for introducing a liquid into the first recess, means for retaining the liquid therein, valve means for permitting the liquid to flow from the recess into the first passage and for preventing the liquid from returning to the recess from the first passage and valve means for admitting liquid from the second passage into the first recess and for preventing the flow of liquid from the first recess into .the second passage, substan- Eially as described and for the purposes set ort 5. A propeller blade having an inclosed weight adapted to be moved toward the free end of the blade by centrifugal force and toward the fixed end of the blade by gravity.

6. A propeller having blades which respectively inclose a weight, said weight adapted to be moved toward the .free end of the blade by centrifugal force and toward the fixed end of the blade by gravity, and means for controlling the movements of the weight at different speeds of the propeller.

7. 'A propeller having blades which respectively inclose a weight, said weight adapted to be moved toward the free end of the blade by centrifugal force and toward the fixed end "by gravity, and means for controlling the movements of the weight at different speeds of the propeller, and means adjacent to the fixed end of the blade for alternately confining and releasing the weight.

8. A propeller having blades which respectively inclose a weight, and means for accommodating said weight comprising a reservoir adjacent to the fixed end of the blade, a reservoir adjacent to the free end of the blade, and passageways connecting said reservoirs, said weight adapted to be moved from the first named reservoir to the second named reservoir by centrifugal force, 15

and returned to the first named reservoir by gravity.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York this 14 day of Jan. A. D. 1921.

CHAS. D. BROOKS. 

